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Former Notts County captain Neal Bishop has revealed how he was happy to just play "pub football" up until his mid-twenties but is glad to have taken the risk to go professional. The 36-year-old has enjoyed a fruitful career in the Football League, playing for the likes of County, Blackpool and Scunthorpe United, where he remains today. Bishop is loved by the Black and White Army for his four years of service at Meadow Lane, making close to 200 appearances between 2009 and 2013. However, it could have been so different had he not decided to take the plunge and, given he was happy working a more conventional job, it may well have beem but for his "big decision". “I didn’t play my first professional game until I was 24, 25," Bishop told Notts TV. "When I was younger, I probably doubted myself a bit too much. I was at Middlesbrough academy when I was a kid and it didn’t work out – I don’t know whether I’d become a bit disillusioned or what. "I was playing pub football at 22, 23; I would play on a Saturday, non-league, few quid cash in hand, then go out Saturday night – I’m a Middlesbrough lad, a Teeside lad and that’s how we do it. "I would then play on a Sunday morning with my mates and go to the social club in the afternoon then work Monday morning! "I used to be a window fitter and I was happy in that life, I was with a girl and it was a big decision to eventually go pro. "I was not a kid anymore and went to Scarborough who were professional in the Conference at the time. "It was a bit like, what do I do because I had a good job, picking up good money playing part time so it was a bit of a risk. But when I got into it I thought, if I’m going to give it a go I might as well go all in. "It was a very unusual way to get into the game – you usually get the ones that come out the academies, who go out on loan and are then released. "At 20, 21, they find out they aren’t good enough for their chosen clubs and filter down through the leagues whereas coming up through them is different. "The ones who have been at the top like Jamie Vardy and Charlie Austin are such good stories and everyone knows about them because there are so few of them. "Personally, I got to the Championship with Blackpool and don’t have the ability to play in the Premier League so I have ultimately made the most of my ability so late on. "I made my debut in the Championship when I was 32 which is ridiculous and I think I appreciated it more because of the way I’d come through. "Once you come up that way, and spend most of your life doing that, you don’t come away from it." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Former Notts County loanee Ryan Yates has revealed he "jumped" at the opportunity to join Scunthorpe United on loan and reiterated his desire to become a first-team player at Nottingham Forest. The 20-year-old was sensational for the Magpies in the first half of the season, making 29 appearances in all competitions and scoring six goals plus registering three assists. However, his time at Meadow Lane came to an end when he was recalled by Forest on January 10 and shipped out to Glanford Park a day later. Since then Yates has made just three appearances for the Iron, totalling 120 minutes of football, but he outlined his hopes of success both at the League One club and his employer. “As soon as I heard the genuine interest from Scunthorpe I jumped at it because I want to challenge myself and play as high as I can, and this is a great place for me to be,” he told the Scunthorpe Telegraph. “These boys want promotion and that’s the only aim. It’s all the players spoke about when I got it, the attitude is that we are getting promotion – I love that. “I want to keep learning every day. I am only 20 and I know I can learn a lot from these players. I want to keep learning, playing and enjoying myself, and I am enjoying myself a lot at this club. “We had that winning mentality at Notts County under Kevin Nolan and it is exactly the same here. "The manager is relentless all the time. Every day in training we are at it because we have big goals we want to achieve by the end of the season. “I want to prove myself at this level and show people that I have what it takes. "It’s going to be fantastic for my development, hopefully we have a successful season here and I’ll go back to Nottingham Forest a better player. “I am contracted to Nottingham Forest, have been there since I was eight years old, so it would be fantastic if I could break into the side. “It would mean everything to break into the first-team at Forest. They have some really top players there who have played at the highest level. “If I am going to get in, I know I will need to go back there in a really good condition with great experience.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Disappointment and football seem to go hand in hand when being a Notts County fan. Like most Magpies supporters, I am immensely gutted by the departure of Ryan Yates who has joined Scunthorpe United after being recalled by our neighbours Nottingham Forest. It’s sad enough that a parent club could force a move in spite of a player's wishes. Yet to remove their chances of helping aside secure promotion, either as champions of their respective division or as automatic hopefuls, just doesn’t make much sense at all. There’s no denying how beneficial the move had been for us, as Yates has proven himself as a major force within our midfield. The decision to recall him, only to loan him out to a side chasing promotion in League One seems quite bizarre on paper, as for me it undoes all the hard work that he put into the first part of the season by removing him from the opportunity to play within a very settled environment. People might suggested that Scunthorpe United may gain promotion themselves, however I feel this is unlikely – whereas there is a strong possibility that we could continue to fight for top spot in League Two. Happiness for any player is a big part of their game, as is togetherness – uprooting a player and expecting them to repeat their earlier performances within an unknown dressing room is such a huge risk in its own right. I do understand why Nottingham Forest would want to access his development, yet this just seems very rushed and somewhat mismanaged. Since their new manager, Aitor Karanka, has only arrived recently, it’s quite baffling as to whom made the decision. The one thing we as fans simply can’t get our heads around, but it has happened and our club now has to decide if or who should replace him. Honestly, I didn’t see this happening and I felt that the media reports merely attempted to create the headlines. Would it not make sense to allow Yates to continue his loan spell at Meadow Lane and then reassess his future/development? I do believe that he’s going to be a big player, yet I don’t think his level is quite polished even in League Two and the experience gained here seemed beyond just that. I would go as far as saying the whole vibe around the club has a dramatic effect on young players, if you believe in something and see that your contributions are helping – even appreciated, well it enables you to play at such a higher level of football. Along with the league and cup success, it really adds to the difficulty in understanding the situation and I don’t see Scunthorpe United as being candidates to repeat what magic Yates would have had here. I really can’t see them gaining promotion from League One, it’s very tough and there are far better teams around them which will have a more refined squad in terms of depth. As a fan I can’t complain about the season, and this situation is merely an unwanted distraction. I am certain Kevin Nolan will be accessing what areas need strengthening, yet this does create the situation of do we need extra cover? Personally, I think Michael O’Connor and Liam Noble can fill the position and do it well. I would also like to see another young player with a similar playing style as Yates come in, just as we might need extra depth and having that finer quality does make a huge difference. To summarise this, regardless of the ins and outs of the loan deal – I feel Forest haven’t done themselves any favours. I believe it doesn’t remotely help Yates, and I see this without wearing any tinted glasses. The quality of players around any player is enough to help shape and mould them, if we were talking about a Wigan or Blackburn – I might see things a little differently. It still wouldn’t make me feel any less different about if the decision was right or wrong, and if Notts had a ‘season long loan’ then I would steer clear of developing any of Forest players in the future. Why risk this situation happening again? I don’t believe it casts a good light on them as a football club. I would hope that this decision doesn’t have an adverseeffect on the club, as I do think the event may leave some distractions and unhappiness around the Magpies camp. However, the professional approach would be to focus as quickly as possible on adding the depth mentioned before the January transfer window closes. Hopefully it's business as usual, we will be able to patch the squad up and continue as we were. Good luck to Ryan Yates lastly, it has been a real pleasure to see him do very well in the Black & White shirt and just seeing his enthusiasm whilst playing seems a real honour for us. Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has spoken highly of new loan arrival Matty Virtue and admitted that Ryan Yates's untimely departure is part and parcel of football. Yates was on loan at Meadow Lane until Wednesday, when he was recalled by Nottingham Forest and sent out to League One side Scunthorpe United, also penning a new City Ground deal. The Magpies have moved quickly to bring in a replacement in the shape of Liverpool Under-23 captain Virtue. "We've had some fantastic recommendations from some really good players who have been in the game," Nolan told the official Notts site. "He trained with us today for the first time and you can see he's a real fox in the box and that he times his runs really well. He's a very good technician and passer of the ball. "I think you'll see the better Matty Virtue in a couple of weeks' time. It's always tough when you come into a new environment but you can already see he's more than capable. "We're hoping when he crosses that white line it suits him and we start taking him on an upward curve. "He's going to be given a great opportunity to excel here and go back to Liverpool a better player. We'll help him as much as we can." When asked by the Nottingham Post about Yates's departure, Nolan replied:“I’m obviously disappointed to lose Ryan because he’s been a major part of our squad in the last six months. He’s done really well for us. “It’s brilliant for him that’s he’s earned a contract over the road on the back of what he’s done here. I’m absolutely delighted for him, and wish him well going forward. “It come as a surprise because we wanted him for the year, but that’s football. He was given a decision to make, and he’s made his decision, so all we do is wish him the best.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Born in Stockton-on-Tees, Neal Bishop's journey in football began with Middlesbrough, though he was released by the Teessiders as a teenager. From there, he joined Northern League club Billingham Town and had two spells there either side of a short tenure at Gateshead FC. While in his first spell at Billingham, Bishop once played in a game alongside his brother Craig and father Rob due to a run of eight matches in 15 days towards the end of the 2000-01 season. Bishop continued to ply his trade in the non-league but worked his way up the food chain as he earned the captain's armband at Scarborough, before joining York City and helping them to the Conference playoffs in 2007. In a show of ambition, he rejected a new deal at York and went on to fulfil a lifelong ambition of playing in the Football League by joining Barnet on a free transfer that year. Bishop didn't exactly make the best start at Underhill, being sent off for violent conduct in just his second match at the club, against Norwich City in the League Cup, but went on to make 47 appearances in the 2007-08 season. The following season, he initially handed a transfer request but went on to withdraw it and ended up becoming club captain after Ismail Yakubu was handed the role. In December, Bishop suffered a fractured jaw after being kicked in the face by Ricky Ravenhill, then of Darlington - fate would reunite the two players at Notts County later on in their careers. In May 2009, Bishop's Magpies journey began when he signed a pre-contract agreement to join the club, which was to undergo an adventure of its own in the shape of the Munto "takeover". On the pitch, Notts were a force to be reckoned with as they cruised to the League Two title, with Bishop's tenacious, never-give-up style and strong engine a crucial part of the setup as he made 43 league appearances that season. Despite the off-the-field uncertainty as Munto ended up being a con, the midfielder never let said issues bother him and, as matters were settled at boardroom level in the summer, he signed a two-year contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2012. In League One, Bishop continued to go from strength to strength as he helped Notts consolidate their place in the third tier, being rewarded with the captain's armband by Paul Ince and finishing the campaign with 51 appearances, two goals, the Player of the Year award, and a new two-year deal at the Lane. Bishop's finest display for Notts came in the fourth round of the 2010-11 FA Cup as the Magpies welcomed Manchester City to Meadow Lane. Just before the hour, he headed home the opener against the Citizens from Alan Gow's corner kick, and for a while, Notts fans were dreaming of a huge upset. Sadly, the match ended up as a 1-1 draw when Edin Dzeko struck a late equaliser, which meant a replay at the City of Manchester Stadium where the hosts upped their game and claimed a 5-0 win. Given that Man City's eventual FA Cup win marked their first trophy in 35 years and was followed up with a Premier League title win the following season, one can't help but wonder how the trajectory of English football may have differed had Bishop's goal been the winner. There was yet more time for a grandiose contribution from Bishop - he was County's captain when the team took on Juventus in their new stadium inauguration in September 2011, a season where the Magpies came within a whisker of making the League One playofs. The 2012-13 campaign would prove to be Bishop's most fruitful one from a scoring perspective, bagging seven goals, but sadly it would also be his final one at the Lane. In an interview with the official Notts site ahead of his departure by mutual consent in June 2013, he said: “It’s an emotional day. "This club has been a major part of my life for four years and I can honestly say I wouldn’t change a thing about my time here. It’s been the best part of my career. “The club are heading in a different direction and there are a number of changes this summer and it just seemed the right time. “I’ve had meetings with the Manager and the board and I’ve given my reasons and I’m really grateful to Jim Rodwell and the Trews who have been very understanding and helped me. “It’s been fantastic. From the rollercoaster of the first season, the cup runs, captaining the club at Juventus and leading the lads out everytime, representing the club was a massive honour. It’s probably my proudest moment in my life. “The fans have been absolutely fantastic with me. I’d like to wish them all the best and thank them. I can’t speak highly enough of them.” Bishop subsequently joined Blackpool, then in the Championship, in August of that year, penning a five-month contract that was extended to take him until the end of the 2013-14 season. Following his spell at Bloomfield Road, he joined newly promoted League One side Scunthorpe United in June 2014, where he continues to ply his trade today. We at PON are delighted to have had the privilege of seeing Neal Bishop in Notts colours at the peak of his powers and contributed countless quality moments to the team, which is why we are delighted to include him in our Notts Alumni list of illustrious Magpies of years gone by. Share your thoughts about this Notts Alumni article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. 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League Two matchday 1: Coventry City 3-0 Notts County Notts County's season began on the worst possible note, falling to a heavy 3-0 defeat at Coventry City in the opening game of the campaign. The Magpies had their moments but weaknesses at the back saw the Sky Blues take full advantage, with young prodigy Jodi Jones bagging himself a hat-trick. EFL Cup first round: Scunthorpe United 3-3 Notts County (6-5 on penalties) A much-changed Notts County side put in a much improved performance against League One side Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park. Jorge Grant gave the visitors the lead, but Paddy Madden and Duane Holmes edged the Iron ahead - only for Shaun Brisley to make it 2-2 at the death. Onto extra time and Madden struck once again, but Ryan Yates forced the tie to penalties, where the hosts finally prevailed. League Two matchday 2: Notts County 2-0 Chesterfield An early-season local derby to set the pulse racing, Chesterfield did not exactly come to Notts County with the intention of playing them off the park - it turned out to be more a case of kicking and barging, with Gozie Ugwu very lucky not to be sent off, though Scott Wiseman had a worse fate, getting his marching orders close to half time. Kevin Nolan's side emerged triumphant through the prodigal loanee Jorge Grant's second and third goals of the season in all competitions. EFL Trophy Northern Group G: Notts County 2-1 Everton Under-21s A much-maligned competition in a game where Notts County were lined up against one of the teams whose admission to the tournament has been the cause of such discord, the Magpies nonetheless gave the fans who went to the game a good performance and a win. Jonathan Forte opened his account for the season before Haydn Hollis claimed a poacher's goal, and Anton Donkor's impressive strike off the post proved to be just a consolation. League Two matchday 3: Wycombe Wanderers 2-4 Notts County Another difficult proposition in the league, Notts gave a bipolar performance in which they raced into a two-goal lead, relinquished it, and struck two late goals for a flattering scoreline. Richard Duffy opened the scoring before a defensive calamity led to an own goal for the visitors, only for Nick Freeman and Joe Jacobson to draw Wycombe level. However, Jonathan Forte claimed the plaudits with a third Notts Magpies goal, before setting up Lewis Alessandra for the killer fourth. League Two matchday 4: Notts County 2-2 Accrington Stanley For the second successive game, Notts took a two-goal lead, only to capitulate and relinquish it, but there was to be no last-ditch blaze of glory as there was at Wycombe Wanderers on Friday night against Accrington Stanley, who cancelled out Jon Stead's successful spot kick and Jorge Grant's strike via Mark Hughes's goal midway through the second half and loanee Mallik Wilks's injury-time strike. Aaron Chapman, the Stanley goalkeeper, kept his team in it with a succession of fine saves. Share your thoughts about this season recap article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Kevin Nolan has admitted that he will have "some hard decisions to make for Saturday" in terms of team selection for Notts County's home game against Chesterfield in League Two. The Magpies made eight changes to their starting XI in Tuesday's League Cup game at Scunthorpe United following a poor 3-0 defeat at Coventry City last Saturday. The much-changed Notts side put in a great display at Glanford Park, taking the lead and then twice pegging the Iron back after falling behind, only succumbing at the death on penalties. “I’ve got some hard decisions to make for Saturday, but that’s what I want,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “We made eight changes on Tuesday, and I suspect many were thinking ‘oh this is a second team’. It wasn’t. It was a first team who had a lot of games between them. “That’s why they were able to play the way they did on Tuesday and take on the information so quickly. “To a man they were absolutely brilliant. Everybody contributed, even the lads who were sat in the stands. “They got right behind the lads. Everyone did the club proud and I am delighted with that.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Kevin Nolan has declared himself proud of Notts County's performance against Scunthorpe United in Tuesday's League Cup first-round clash at Glanford Park. The Magpies took the lead in the match but went on to fall behind twice, only to peg their opponents back both times for a final score of 3-3 and taking them all the way to penalties. Only one spot kick was missed - unfortunately it was one from Matt Tootle, which at sudden death, gave the Iron passage to the next round of the competition. Nolan told the official Notts website: "I never get too high when we win or too low when we lose - but I do get proud when I see a performance like that. "The lads were really upset with their performance on Saturday but I think we showed, as a squad, what we're about. "I'm absolutely gutted we didn't make it into the next round. We took a very good League One side all the way to the wire and on another night we could have nicked it. "It's going to be tough because a lot of the lads have run themselves into the ground. We'll be assessing them. Some will need wrapping up in cotton wool more than others. "We'll have as many fit and raring to go as we can going into the weekend." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County have certainly enjoyed some memorable nights in the League Cup over the last couple of years. The epic showdown with Nottingham Forest in 2011. Taking the mighty Liverpool to extra time in 2013. The eight-goal thriller with Aston Villa. And right on cue, on yet another odd-numbered year, comes another League Cup classic featuring the Magpies - the opponents, Scunthorpe United, may not be quite so glamorous as the above, but it was nonetheless a titanic tussle which went all the way to penalties, though sadly, the outcome was a defeat, albeit a heroic one. In a game played under heavy rain that seemed at risk of potentially being postponed as it went on, Jorge Grant hit a speculative effort from 20 yards out which hit the bar and was turned behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, the Nottingham Forest loanee opened the scoring after Rob Milsom’s cross into the box was not dealt with by the Iron defence and Grant steered into the far corner. Scunthorpe switched formation from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 at the break which made them more threatening, and 61 minutes in, Paddy Madden had the ball in the back of the net, though he was deemed to be offside. However, the hosts were given a route back into the game when Conor Townsend was brought down by Terry Hawkridge, prompting the referee to award a penalty which Madden slotted into the bottom left-hand corner. With just four minutes left of normal time, Duane Holmes put the Iron ahead after racing through onto a Sam Mantom pass, and it looked like County's resistance was over. However, injury time brought about a Notts equaliser when Milsom’s corner was met by the head of Shaun Brisley, hitting the post with his first chance, before pouncing on the rebound and levelling the game, which meant extra time. Seconds before half-time in the extra period, Hakeeb Adelakun played Madden through on goal, who bore down on goal and slotted past Ross Fitzsimons, although the Magpies were a man down in defence after Shaun Brisley went down injured at the other end. Nonetheless, Kevin Nolan's side would draw level once again when another Forest loanee, Ryan Yates turned inside the box and drove his shot past Matt Gilks, who had little time to react to the strike. And so it went down to penalties, whose new format - and its resulting name - has singlehandledly served as free advertising for one of the most "iconic" pop bands of the 20th century. One player on team A would take a spot kick, then two players on team B would take their penalties, then two from team A, and so on, rather than the simple one on each team alternating. So rather than ABAB, it's ABBA. Alan Smith, Curtis Thompson, Rob Milsom, Shaun Brisley and Jonathan Forte all succeeded with their penalties, but Scunthorpe's efforts were all converted too, and sadly the man to fluff his kick was a Notts man, Matt Tootle. Nonetheless, it was a gutsy, doughty performance which Nolan and his boys can take much from going into Saturday's encounter with Chesterfield, the first Meadow Lane league game of the season. And judging by how things have panned out over the last decade, expect a complete non-event in the League Cup in 2018 before another corker in 2019. Share your thoughts about this match report on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County against Scunthorpe United is a relatively new fixture in English football - the first time these two faced off was on the 4th January 1969 in the old Division Four. On that day, goals by George Kerr and Nigel Cassidy gave the Iron a 2-1 victory - Richie Barker netted the consolation for the Magpies. Since then, the two sides have played 27 further games, and the record is firmly in the Magpies' favour, winning 18, drawing 4 and losing just 6. The last fixture took place on 9 August 2016, also in the first round of the League Cup, also at Glanford Park, and it finished 2-0 to the Iron. Scunthorpe United were formed in 1899 - in 1910 they merged with local rivals Lindsey United to become Scunthorpe & Lindsey United, and joined the Midland Football League in 1912. In 1950 the club was accepted into the Football League, ahead of Workington and Wigan Athletic, when the league structure was expanded, with the "Lindsey" part of the name being dropped shortly after. Ever since the club entered the league their nickname has been ‘The Iron’, a metal which has long played a role in the team’s nomenclature. Before 1950s Scunthorpe United were known as the Knuts. The origin is uncertain but it is generally accepted as being when they won one of the local charity cups. The vicar of Frodingham, the Rev Cryspant Rust, said “that indeed Scunthorpe and Lindsey United were a tough (k)nut to beat”. For a small club, the Iron have an impressive roll call of former players and managers. The most notable is Kevin Keegan, one of England's greatest ever footballers, who played for Scunny between 1966 and 1971. Other alumni, either in a playing or managing capacity, include Ray Clemence, cricketer Ian Botham, Ian Storey-Moore, Neil Warnock, Jermaine Beckford, Billy Sharp, Andy Keogh, and former Leicester City manager Nigel Adkins, who used to be the club's physiotherapist. Team news Scunthorpe United manager Graham Alexander has confirmed that former Notts County man Neal Bishop will not play as he is suffering from a dead leg. Defender Lewis Butroid and striker Luke Williams have also just got back into training so they are likely to miss out, but aside from those three, the Iron have everyone else fit and available. Notts County manager Kevin Nolan has no new injury worries ahead of the trip to Glanford Park, but is likely to ring the changes following the 3-0 defeat at Coventry City at the weekend. Forward Jonathan Forte looks likely to feature following the Magpie attack's poor showing at the Ricoh Arena, as well as Nolan revealing he held a "frank discussion" with the ex-Scunthorpe man. Share your thoughts about this Stat Attack preview on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has given his opinion on several current topics, including pre-season, the recently-released League Two fixtures, transfer window activity and higher-league loanees such as Jorge Grant. It is low season within English football at present as many players and staff are on holiday, recuperating from the season just gone and with at least a week until pre-season gets underway. However, plenty of work is being done behind the scenes, with contracts being signed (or turned down) by players already on a club's books, as well as thrashing out deals to bring new players in. And this week, the EFL fixtures were released, giving fans the chance to begin planning their excursions on the road to follow their beloved teams (and cancel any other plans that may have got in the way of their beloved football). Nolan is about to embark on his first ever full season as a manager, so for him it's relatively uncharted territory. Speaking to the Nottingham Post, he touched on a number of topics. On fixtures (and previous boss Sam Allardyce) "I don't want to place too much emphasis on it, but I always believe in hitting the ground running. "I've got that from Sam Allardyce. He massively believed in having a good start and that's why all that preparation will be going into the first game. "It's not about beating Nottingham Forest in a friendly and then losing to Coventry and then losing to Chesterfield. "They are the two games that matter so that Forest (pre-season friendly) game, while it will be a fantastic occasion, will be about the boys getting those minutes in and making sure they are good minutes too. "We want to be ready, we don't want injuries and we want to make sure we keep moving forward, making sure that everybody is getting fitter. "Then come August 5, we are ready to explode and hitting the ground running." On the Carabao Cup first round clash at Scunthorpe United "It is a difficult one but it will be a good test for our boys to see if they have the ability to match them. "It is a game we will go and enjoy and hopefully give a good account of ourselves to get through to the next round." On players and current transfer dealings "We've kept everybody that we have wanted to retain from last season's squad. "Now it's about looking at specific positions, particularly the spine of the team. "We are also looking at signing a left-sider so we are talking to people and seeing if they want to come here. "As I've always said I want people who want to play for this club and I don't want to be negotiating for £50 here or £100 there. "I want a player who has a passion and a desire to play for Notts County." On Jorge Grant "I am absolutely delighted for Jorge (on his new Nottingham Forest deal). "I've built up a great relationship with him and I think the boy is a special talent. "He thrived in the environment that we created for him here and I spoke very well with his dad in the office and on the phone. "He is going to be one of those boys that I will continue to speak to throughout my career I think. "He knows what is expected of him. He's got a lovely family behind him, he's got a little bit of nice arrogance about him. "It's what he needs to become a top player. He's got fire in his belly and you have to embrace that. "But I am hoping if Jorge gets made available for loan again that he comes back here." On other higher-league loanees "We want people to come here and thrive so we can have that great relationship with Nottingham Forest. "We've already built up good relations with Arsenal, Hull and West Brom after the loan signings we made from them last season. "That's what you want, but for me Jorge was obviously the pick of the bunch. "He's a lovely lad and I am hoping that he goes over the road and speaks highly of us. "Anyone who is coming through at Forest and is sitting there wondering about us, then they can go to Jorge and ask him about us. "I am sure he will say 'get yourself over there' because we will make players better." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.